


Advice

by Jazzy_Kandra



Category: Cosmere - Brandon Sanderson, SANDERSON Brandon - Works, Stormlight Archive - Brandon Sanderson, Warbreaker - Brandon Sanderson
Genre: F/M, Oathbringer spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-12
Updated: 2017-12-12
Packaged: 2019-02-14 00:01:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12995400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jazzy_Kandra/pseuds/Jazzy_Kandra
Summary: In which Adolin asks Zahel for some advice. Missing scene. Oathbringer Spoilers.Part of the Stormshot series.





	Advice

Nestled at a table in the back of the makeshift library the Ardents had set up upon their arrival in Urithiru, Zahel was doing something he hadn’t truly done in years: research. The return of the Knights Radiant had inspired him, Kaladin glowing with Stormlight as he flew above the camp, Shardblade in hand. That girl activating the fabrial with her Shardblade. Dalinar bonding Stormfather, the largest remnant of Honor himself. Renarin healing Adolin’s wrist…

All of those events amounted to a clue on how he might unlock that same power for Awakening. He just hadn’t figured out exactly what that clue was, yet.

In his fist, he held an diamond broam that he had hidden from the others, only a few strains of light escaping through his thick fingers. His eyes focused on it, though he could sense it just as well with them close, for it was brimming with Investiture.

“Your Light to mine,” he said, speaking the words in his native tongue. Stormlight flooded forth, flowing towards him as a vapor. Zahel breathed. That part had always been easy.

This next part, however, wasn’t. He’d never been able to get it to work. Still, perhaps the fabrial he had “borrowed” could help him, or so he hoped. Through its captured spren, it created an artificial Connection - or bond, to use the local parlance -

Someone was standing behind him.

 _Damn_.

Why couldn’t those stupid ardents listen to him when he said he didn’t want to be disturbed?  _Well_ , he thought,  _I can always scare them away again…_

“Yeah?” A puff of Light escaped his lips as he spoke. He shut his mouth tight once more and clamped his nose between thumb and forefinger, it wouldn’t do to leak more Stormlight than he had to.

The person jumped. “Uh…, ummm, Master?” Damnation, it was Adolin. Zahel stuffed the small straw figure under the table. Sure, he saw the young man as his own grandson, but like any grandchild, Adolin could be awfully annoying sometimes. “Storms. How do you always do that?”

Zahel drew out a long sigh, the rest of his Stormlight escaping in a fine mist. Stupid leaky Investiture. He’d have to work on this later. At least he had some more spheres which he had managed to charge in that unexpected Highstorm. Unfortunately, he couldn’t just scare a princeling away and get back to work.

Why was he so much more grumpy of late? Perhaps it was related to that new Storm…

“I have good ears.”

“Wait…,” the boy jogged up beside his chair, hovering over him like a teacher spying on some poor student as they did coursework. “Was that Stormlight?”

Shit.

“Your eyes are tricking you, boy.”

“But…I could’ve sworn…,” he said. “You’re not another hidden Knight Radiant, right?”

Zahel snorted, waving a dismissive hand at that stupid suggestion. He’d rather eat crem than bond with a spren. “I won’t go flying off with your Stormlight.”

“Just thought I would ask,” he said, still staring at where the vaporous Investiture had vanished. “You know, you’re pretty weird, Zahel.”

“Not every shade of blue is a green.“ That didn’t sound right. Did they even have a word for  _teal_?

“What?” Adolin asked. “Green isn’t blue. That’s ridiculous.”

“Damnation language,” he muttered. Adolin grinned, a part of the boy had always liked it when Alethi fouled him up and made him spout something ridiculous. Hallandran had a name for nearly every color known to man, the Alethi only had a few scant words to describe the whole set. It was terrible. Instead of sounding old and wise, he came off sounding like a colorblind idiot. “You know what I mean, how many of these fools do you think are broken enough to get a spren to bond with them?”

“Broken?” he asked. “What does that have to do with becoming a Radiant?”

Zahel grunted. Why was he talking about this kind of thing with Adolin Kholin? He was a fine lad, but he didn’t know a thing about Investiture or the finer workings of the cosmere. Adolin wasn’t his cousin. Jasnah was a smart woman, pity that red-haired girl said she was dead.

Zahel wasn’t sure he believed that, though. Kholins were hard to kill, and if the rumors he had heard were true, she had been a Radiant, too.  _Probably just faked it_ ,  _somehow,_  he thought.

“What did you want, kid?”

“I’m…ah…I started training Shallan with the sword,” he began, nervously shuffling his feet, “and I was hoping for some advice.”

The boy blushed. Great. Not only did he have to deal with that new, pesky storm, it seemed the boy had finally became a man.

“Son,” Zahel said, turning around fully in his chair. “I know you like the girl, but having heirs early i-”

“Wah…what?

Or not. Thank Colors. He didn’t want to have that conversation with Adolin. Let Dalinar deal with it, he was a better man now. Zahel was too old for that kind of crem.

Zahel frowned. “Then what did you mean?”

“Ummm, I’m… I’m training her to use a Shardblade…not…” He looked away sheepishly.

“Oh.” Yes. That was a lot more like Adolin.

“What in Damnation did you think it was?”

“Nothing.” Adolin gave him a bewildered look. Storm it. He wasn’t going to go into details if the storming kid was too dense to get it. "What’s wrong with teaching her that?”

“She’s a woman.”

Oh right. Silly Alethi and their damn gender roles. Vivenna would…no. He didn’t want to think about Vivenna. It hurt too much.

“And you’re an Ardent.”

“So?”

Adolin sighed, running a hand through his hair. “You’re not supposed to…”

“I’ve trained women before,” he said.  _In both kinds of swords, unlike some kids who can’t comprehend simple metaphors._  He, however, had enough wisdom not to say certain things aloud. “What does it matter? She’s got a sword, might as well learn to use it to defend herself.”

Adolin nodded. “That’s what I said,” he sighed, looking apprehensive once again. “But she’s just not passionate about it.”

Zahel closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then released it. How could he be having this conversation, and how in the cosmere did a man of twenty-four not understand what it sounded like he was saying?

“Master…?” Adolin only used that title when he was concerned.

“You’re an idiot.”

“Huh?”

“Most people aren’t that storming passionate about their Shardblades.”

“Well,” Adolin said, taking a seat at the table. “They’re special. You know that, you’ve handled a few!”

Zahel rolled his eyes.

“She doesn’t have to be passionate,” he said, stopping Adolin before he had the chance to ramble on and on about said swords. “She just has to learn to defend herself. Keeping a cool head can be good in a fight. Now…what in Damnation makes you think you’d make a good teacher?”

“I’m just that storming good, that’s why.”

“Ha.”

“But I am,” he said, “you trained me.”

“That doesn’t make you a good teacher, boy. You’re an excellent duelist and warrior, neither of those things mean you know the first thing about teaching someone else,” he said. “If we didn’t need to keep this secret, I would tell you to bring her to me.”

“You? But you’re too…”

“Mean?”

“No, you’re just a grump,” Adolin said. Ah. That was the Alethi word for it. Hadn’t Vivenna called him something like that once? “Shallan is basically your polar opposite. Unlike you, she’s actually nice. Cheerful. Happy. She’s pretty, too.”

 _That might be true, but she’s not Vivenna._ Instead, Zahel barked a laugh. “You fear I’d corrupt her with my…grumption?”

“That’s not a word.”

“It should be,” he said. “I’ll write you some suggestions.”

“But I can’t…oh. For her.” He blushed again. Adolin really did like this Radiant girl, didn’t he? That detraction could pose a problem while teaching,…and lead to other things.

Zahel shook his head, then flipped to a clean sheet of parchment. As Zahel wrote, Adolin went into more detail about Shallan’s lessons. It seemed they had managed two sections without incident, and the girl had gotten a basic handle on some of the simpler stances.

After some time had passed, he handed the sheets to Adolin. “Huh,” Adolin said, inspecting the sheet, “your handwriting’s actually legible.”

“You’re illiterate.” Of course, that wasn’t the only problem. Zahel preferred writing in his native Hallandren, not women’s script. It was quicker. “And,” he looked over Adolin’s shoulder, “you’re holding it the wrong way.”

The boy held it sideways. “Oh,” Adolin said, rotating the sheet…until it was still sideways again. Storms. “I can still tell if it’s legible, Zahel.”

“Right.”

“Thanks,” he said, standing to leave. Zahel cleared his throat, however, causing Adolin to turn back. “What?”

“Do you kids have some kind of chaperone for these nighttime lessons?”

“It should be fine,” he said, scratching the back of his neck bashfully. “Her spren’s keeping an eye on things.”

“Her spren,” Zahel deadpanned. Great. “Adolin…”

The boy swallowed. “Hey, if my father’s spren can officiate his marriage to my aun - mom,” he said, seemingly unsure of what he should called Navani. Hell, Zahel wasn’t sure either. “Then Pattern should be acceptable, it’s not like…like…”

Even if they did it, it wouldn’t disturb Zahel’s conscience. Considering how easily flustered Adolin was, however… “Just pulling your leg, kid,” he said, patting him on the arm. “If you need more help, just ask.”

Adolin nodded.

“Go on, get going,” he said, waving him off. Adolin scurried away, no doubt in a rush to meet with a certain red-head.

Hopefully, nothing would come of it. But if it did…well, he had never been that great an ardent, anyway.

Zahel took out yet another sphere from his hidden stash. It was time to get back to work.

“Your Light to mine…”


End file.
